Solano County ringing in the season of joy with many events

Vacaville's Merriment on Main celebration on Tuesday marked the first of several community celebrations planned across northern Solano County to ring in the holiday season.

Fairfield is the next local city to get the holiday spirit rolling with its annual Holiday Candlelight Caroling and Christmas Tree Lighting event set to run from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday.

The festivities will begin with old-time holiday candlelight caroling at 6 p.m. at Madison and Texas streets, followed by the tree lighting there at 6:15 p.m.

The event also offers free train rides, live performances, caroling, visits with Santa, face painting, horse-drawn wagon rides, vendors, and to top the evening off, a free Candy Land Scavenger Hunt for all children 13 and under.

Suisun City will mark the launch of the season with its annual Christmas at the Waterfront celebration from noon to 8 p.m. at the Harbor Plaza on Saturday.

The day will feature holiday arts and crafts, live entertainment, a charity tree auction, food, hay wagon rides, skating rink, bonfire and more, culminating with the annual tree lighting and Santa's arrival by a lighted boat parade.

Rio Vista also gets in on the fun on Saturday, pulling out all the stops for an entire day of Christmas activities. The festivities begin at downtown Rio Vista with arts and craft vendors at

10 a.m. and continues with holiday music, a Delta Drifters Toy Drive, Fire House festivities, Rio Vista Museum Holiday Fair, a car show, a holiday parade, the "Light up a light, light up a life" tree-lighting ceremony and, finally, a lighted boat parade at 6 p.m. Events take place at the foot of Main Street and at the Senior Center.

Dixon will officially launch its holiday season next week from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 6 with a tree- lighting festival. There will be a host of festive activities to ring in the season in the Women's Improvement Park. The event will include free horse-drawn carriage rides around the downtown streets with some caroling by local children and churches. Children can also visit Santa in the Legion Hall and there will be kids crafting in the Calvary Church hall. Inside the Veterans Memorial Hall will be more than 20 crafters with gift items available.